This is a place to share issues, useful and helpful information regarding healthy communities - what are some of the community programs that are helping our people address these issues, both on-reserve and in the towns and cities? Traditional and Contemporary solutions?

With the recent release of information regarding a death due to the H5N1 avian flu virus the Southern Chief's Organization (SCO) would like to remind all First Nations to remain vigilant and take precautions during the flu season.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) the H5N1 virus is a bird flu virus that can cause outbreaks in poultry. Health officials stressed that there is no evidence of the virus spreading between people travelling on airplanes and continue to monitor the flu viruses, including H5N1, that may gain the ability to spread rapidly between people and cause severe disease.

The Public Health Agency of Canada's FluWatch states that the H5N1 bird flu is not the same as the seasonal flu and the H1N1 strain first identified in 2009 is the main version of flu circulating this year.

The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (WRHA) reported that there have only been 13 cases of the flu and the influenza numbers have remained manageable. The WRHA suggests that any vulnerable people with flu-like symptoms should seek medical attention early; this includes children, the elderly, those with a weak immune system and pregnant women. SCO suggests asking your health professional to advise you about the safety of any vaccines before getting vaccinated.

The SCO is committed to disease surveillance and will work closely with its public health partners and other provincial health authorities to ensure the health and safety of First Nations people.

The SCO would like to remind First Nations that our communities face many unique challenges when preparing for flu outbreaks and should take time to know who to call for information regarding vaccinations. Along with issues of culture and jurisdiction, First Nation communities may encounter additional challenges as a result of being from a remote or isolated community.

As with any outbreak of influenza precautions should be taken to limit its transmission. In First Nations communities where boil advisories are in effect extra precautions should be taken; such as the use of hand sanitizers.

Since the symptoms for the H1N1 strain are the same as those as the standard flu people who are normally healthy but experience difficult or painful breathing, extreme drowsiness or confusion, coughing up bloody sputum (phlegm or saliva), wheezing, fever for three to four days that is not getting better or is getting worse, sudden return of high fever and other symptoms after initial improvement, extreme ear pain, should seek medical attention.- - -Flu outbreak hits northern Manitoba First NationAbout 30 H1N1 cases reported in Garden Hill First Nationhttp://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/ ... -1.2490847

Happy New Year to all BC First Nations from the First Nations Health Authority!

In the past week, the number of reported influenza cases in BC was the highest yet this flu season. The most common form of the influenza virus in BC this year is Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09. Influenza A (H1N1) was responsible for the pandemic in 2009. In that year it was predicted that this new virus would result in more hospitalizations and deaths than had been seen in prior influenza seasons. This was not the case; however, young children, teens, and pregnant women did suffer more serious illness due to H1N1.

This year’s flu shot will protect you against H1N1and keep you from transmitting it to others. In fact, even last year’s flu shot provided this protection because public health officials predicted that H1N1 would return. At this time, H1N1 seems to be a flu virus which has become a regular part of the flu season. It is especially dangerous for children, seniors, pregnant women and those with other health conditions, but H1N1 influenza also causes illness in previously healthy young adults.

We encourage you to take the following steps to protect loved ones and stay well during flu season:

• Wash hands frequently with soap and water;

• Sneeze/cough​ into your sleeve and not your hands;

• Throw away used tissues;

• Ensure household surfaces are kept as clean as possible; and

• If you are feeling sick, stay home from work or school and call your local health care provider or HealthLink at 811.

Free flu shots for Aboriginal people are available at your Health Centre or Nursing Station, and can also be obtained in physician’s offices or pharmacies. If you haven’t had the flu shot this year, don’t delay- the flu shot remains the most effective way to prevent the flu.

Remember: when you get the flu shot, you are not only protecting yourself, but also your family and community.​

Is H1N1 back again?H1N1 was seen for the first time in 2009 and since then has been one of the several types of seasonal (regular) influenzas that have been seen.

Am I eligible for a free flu shot?Aboriginal peoples (on and off reserve) are eligible to receive a free flu shot this influenza season.

What is in the flu shot this year?This year the influenza vaccine contains:o A/California (H1N1)o A/Victoria (H3N2)o B/Massachusetts​The 2 ‘A’ strains, California and Victoria are the same as in last year’s vaccine and the ‘B’ strain, Massachusetts, is new.

If I was immunized last year am I safe?It is recommended that you receive your flu shot annually; last year’s flu shot does not guarantee immunity this year.

Are my kids at risk?Children who have not recei​ved the flu shot are at risk for getting the flu.​Children at risk of getting serious complications from the flu illness include those:

• aged 6 months to less than 5 years,• children and teenagers needing to take aspirin for long periods of time due to a medical condition.Children and adults with the following medical conditions are also at risk of getting serious complications from the flu illness:• Heart or lung disorders that require regular medical care, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or cystic fibrosis• Kidney disease, chronic liver disease such as hepatitis, diabetes, cancer, anemia, or weakened immune system• Those with health conditions causing difficulty breathing, swallowing, or a risk of choking on food or fluids, such as people with severe brain damage, spinal cord injury, seizures or neuromuscular disorders.• Those who are ver​y obese.

Don't let the flu get to youPublished on Nov 20, 2013Emily Bara of Skeetchestn Indian Reserve lost her baby sister to the flu when they were children. Today she makes sure her great-grandchildren get their flu shots, taking them to the clinic so that they can get their shots together.

With reports of the H1N1 (and now H5N1) flu virus on the rise, William Bowie, a professor in UBC’s Faculty of Medicine who specializes in infectious diseases, says don’t panic, but take all necessary precautions.

The mention of H1N1 strikes fear into people, partly due to its dramatic entry as ‘swine flu’ in 2009. Should we pay special attention to this strain?

We should pay attention to all strains of influenza that affect humans because all can result in severe disease or death. Typically strains other than H1N1 disproportionally affect very young children, the elderly, and those with an immune system that is compromised by underlying diseases or medications. Death rates are particularly high in the elderly. H1N1 is unusual because many of the infections occur in children and younger adults, and illness can rapidly become severe and even fatal.

The overall impact of H1N1 is not markedly different from other strains of influenza, but its impact is more visible. Even now, when it is obvious that some children and young adults are getting severe disease from H1N1, it has not actually been an unusual year in terms of influenza impact.

Health experts agree that vaccination is our best defence against the flu, but there’s still much resistance – why do you think that is?

For reasons that do not stand up to objective scrutiny, there continue to be vocal lobbies and individuals who not only reject the use of vaccines, but occasionally spread myths or outright lies against their use. For these folks, the likely drivers are a general rejection of use of vaccines, or paranoid beliefs about ‘big pharma’ and government, or fear of reactions to vaccines. Others have mistaken beliefs about vaccine failures – a typical story being that I or someone I know had the vaccine and still got a flu-like illness. This is rarely actually shown to be influenza but rather one of the myriad other illnesses that can cause flu-like symptoms. Other people mistakenly believe that influenza is trivial, or that they are somehow protected from getting it.

That is not to say, however, that the influenza vaccines we now have are without drawbacks. They do not provide absolute protection against influenza. But depending on the vaccine components, the specific strains of influenza that circulate that year, prior exposure to vaccines or influenza and underlying disease and age, getting vaccinated against influenza does provide some protection. Even when protection is not absolute and one develops symptoms from influenza, the disease doesn’t make you as sick. The risks from influenza vaccines are generally trivial and for vulnerable populations, the benefits substantially exceed the risks.

For those who want to get the vaccine, is there an optimal time and is it ever too late?

The optimal time to be vaccinated is before the influenza season starts, which in B.C. is usually November or December. However during the flu season, which lasts into the spring, three or occasionally more strains of influenza will circulate, often sequentially. So even if the influenza season has started, it is not too late to get vaccinated because there will be some protection against strains that you haven’t yet been exposed to.